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Sodom
Sodom was a Canaanite city-state that existed during the time of Abraham, where his cousin Lot lived. Sodom is mostly known for its tremendous sexual immorality and its destruction by GodGen 19:3,. It is first described in Genesis and throughout the rest of the Bible, Sodom is used as symbolism for the unrepentant sinner's inheritance of God's wrath. History Foundation The city of Sodom was founded by the families of the offspring of CanaanGen 10:15-17, descendants of HamGen 10:6,20. Sodom was along the border of the land of CanaanGen 10:19. it was closely surrounded by four other smaller cities: Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar; all of which were closely allied and influenced by Sodom (perhaps under Sodom's rule)Gen 14:2, 14:8, 19:25, 19:28; Deut 29:23. Sodom was founded on the well watered Jordan River plain that stretched all the way to Zoar, but after Sodom would be destroyed it would no longer be plentifulGen 13:10. Lot's Home When Abraham (or Abram as he was called at the time) and his cousin Lot decided to seperate ways, there were two areas in which they had to chose fromGen 13:8-9. Lot, seeing the area of Sodom was plentiful, settled in the plain of the JordanGen 13:11 and set up his tent near SodomGen 13:12, where by this time the people had become very wickedGen 13:13. War of the Cities Sodom's King in Battle At one point the city of Sodom along with several other cities had been subject to the city of Elam and it's king KedorlaomerGen 14:1, for twelve years and so in the thirteen yearGen 14:4, Bera king of Sodom along with several other cities united to rebel against KedorlaomerGen 14:2. At one point in the war, Bera (Sodom's king) and his forces, along with other city allies, gathered in the Valley of SiddimGen 14:8 and battled against Kedorlaomer and his alliesGen 19:9. After battling Sodom's army suffered losses and began to flee, but many of the forces fell into tar pits of the valley leaving the rest to flee to the hillsGen 14:10. Sodom Sieged With the army of Sodom weakened and unable to protect the city, Kedorlaomer and his army sieged Sodom and took all of its goods, its foodGen 14:11 and many of its people, including LotGen 14:12. Abram rescues Sodom's goods A survivor of the Sodom attacks escaped and reported the incident to AbramGen 14:13. Knowing that his cousin had also been taken captiveGen 14:14, Abram assembled a force of menGen 14:14, and attacked Kedorlaomer and his forcesGen 14:15. In doing so Abraham recovered all of the belongings of Sodom and rescued his cousin and the people of SodomGen 14:16. After this, the king of Sodom along with his allies came out to meet to AbramGen 14:17. Bera in his gratitude offered all the possessions of Sodom, asking only to have his people returned to himGen 14:21. Abram only returned to the king, saying that on oathGen 14:22 he had promised God he would not take anything belonging to SodomGen 14:23-24. The Destruction of Sodom Abraham's plead for Sodom At one point three Angels visited AbrahamGen 18:2. When the Angels got up to leave from their conversation with Abraham, God proclaimed in the form of a question that he would inform Abraham of his plansGen 18:17 to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, because many nations (most importantly Israel) would arise from his offspringGen 18:18-19. God promised Abraham that he would go down to the Sodom and its sister cityGen 18:20, and examine the city to confirm that the evil of the city was as troublesome as it appearedGen 18:21. Then the Angels went on their way and went down to Sodom, while Abraham stayed in God's presenceGen 18:22. Abraham approached God and asked if he could destroy the righteous of the city, alongside the wickedGen 18:23, supposing that if there were fifty righteous would the city be sparedGen 18:24. God replied to Abraham that if there were indeed fifty righteous he would spare the entire cityGen 18:26. Abraham once again spoke up and asked if there were forty-five if the city would be sparedGen 18:27-28, having the reply that it would. Abraham once again asked if there were forty righteous if the city would be sparedGen 18:29, and once again was replied that it would. Abraham continued to plead for the city, lowering the amount of required righteous to save the city by ten each timeGen 18:30-32, until God had told promised him for the sake of ten the city would be spared. The Angels Confirm the Evil The two of the three "men" (two Angels, the third being God) arrived in the city of Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city, and seeing the AngelsGen 19:1 offered hospitality to them by inviting them to stay in his house. Rather the Angels preferred to spend the night in the the town square. Lot strongly insisted and so the Angels came and stayed with LotGen 19:3. Before Lot and his household retired for bed, every man of the city came and surrounded the houseGen 19:4. They requested that Lot bring the Angels he had brought with them outside the house to sleep with themGen 19:5. Lot went outside to plead with the men of the city in order to protect the AngelsGen 18:6-7 even offering his virgin daughtersGen 19:8. The men of the city insistedGen 19:9 and so the Angels pulled Lot back insideGen 18:10 and blinded the men outsideGen 19:11. The Angels then told Lot to gather any other relatives, other than his immediatesGen 19:12, for they were going to destroy the city due to its evilGen 19:13. So Lot went out and warned the men pledged to marry his daughters, but they thought he was jokingGen 19:14. Destruction With dawn soon to fall, the Angels urged Lot to leave the cityGen 19:15 and they took him and his family by the hand and lead them outside the cityGen 19:17. Lot informed the Angels he and his family would flee to ZoarGen 19:20 and they did so quicklyGen 19:21as the destruction could not begin until they arrived, as the entire plainGen 14:2, 14:8, 19:25, 19:28; Deut 29:23 that Sodom was on would be destroyedGen 19:22. Once Lot arrived at Zoar, the sun had risenGen 19:23 and so God rained down burning fire and sulfur to destroy the cityGen 19:4. Both Sodom and its sister city Gomorrah along with the entire plain (including three other cities, all destroyed except Zoar) in which Sodom laid on, were destroyed, leaving no vegetation. The next morning Abraham had gotten up and returned to the place where he had pleaded for SodomGen 19:27. He looked downward at the plain of Sodom and saw a thick smoke rising from the entire landGen 19:28. Legacy Throughout the rest of the Bible, Sodom is used in comparisons of sinners and the wrath of God they would experience. When destroying the plain, God remembered Abraham and that his cousin Lot lived there, therefore sparing Lot's lifeGen 19:29. Not only was the city of Sodom destroyed, but the entire plain along with it, including three other cities which were all destroyed except Zoar. Verses Category:Places Category:Cities Category:Old Testament Cities Category:Canaanite Cities